Apparatus for cleaning and otherwise treating small articles



Sept. 16, 1947. wjE. CURRAN 2,427,388

APPARATUS FOR CLEANING AND OTHERWISE TREATING SMALL ARTICLES Filed June 5, 1945 INVENTOR. WpZam, Z C'urnm w N @w v A aw lvlllllll .111 lllllJiI-IIII NIL. \Nm a E R w\ .Q. o Q a a x. 1 u a .q m o QN MN I vii. J a Q MN m." a a -I c ca m 9. 1 W o QM N aw 3 4 N\ R Y N. .E x

Patented Sept. 16 1947 APPARATUS FOR CLEANING AND OTHER- WISE TREATING SMALL ARTICLES William Edward Curran, CardifL'Wales, assignor to Edward Curran & Company Limited,

Cardiff, Wales.

Application June 5, 1945, Serial No. 597,622

In Great Britain June 16, 1944 9 Claims.

This invention relates to apparatus for cleaning and otherwise treating small'articles and is especially adapted to be arranged for pickling and/or washing and drying small articles such as screw-threaded bolts.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved apparatus of the kind which comprises a rotatable barrel enclosing a helix for moving the articles to be treated along the barrel.

It is a further object of the invention to provide apparatus of the kind referred to in which the articles to be treated are continuously subjected to freshly sprayed liquid, which liquid after being sprayed is caused to move towards a discharge'outlet.

Apparatus for cleaning or otherwise treating,

e. g., pickling small articles according to the invention comprises a barrel inclined to the hori- Zontal, an internal helix non-rotatably mounted in the barrel for conveying articles upwardly therethrough, means for rotating the barrel, a spray pipe in and rotatably mounted with respect to the barrel, said barrel having an inlet at the lower end to receive and an outlet at the upper end to discharge the articles to be treated and a liquid discharge outlet at the lower end of the barrel, passages being provided adjacent the internal surface of the barrel to permit liquid delivered from said pipe to flow downwards to the said liquid discharge outlet. 7

Theinvention will be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which V V 7 Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view partly in longitudinal section and partly in side elevation and Fig. 2 is a sectional view on line A-A of Fig. 1 of apparatus arranged for pickling and washing metal bolts and the like. 7

Referring to the drawings a barrel I is arranged with its longitudinal axis inclined to the horizontal and is supported on a structure 2. Collars 3 and 4 fixed to the outer surface oi the barrel I are arranged to bear on rollers 5 rotatably mounted on the structure 2 while a further set of rollers, of which one roller 6 is shown also mounted on the structure 2, bear against the lower side faces of the collars and prevent the barrel I from sliding downwards. A toothed driving ring 1 fixed to the barrelis engaged by a worm 8 which is arranged to be driven by an electric motor 9 through a chain Ill and wheels II and I2. Rotatably mounted in bearings, not shown, and thus able to remain stationary while the barrel I is rotated,'are co-axial perforated 7 2 a and I6 terminatewithin the barrel at a blank disc I! to which flanges on the tubes are attached. The tubes are provided with perforations? in the lower portions of thetubes as shown more clearly in Fig.2.

Fixedly attached to'the internal surface of the barrel is a helix I9 which extends over the whole length of the barrel and in this helix adjacent the inner surface of the barrel are formed ports 28 which provide passages to enable liquid intro duced to the interior of the barrel from the spray tubes I5 and I6 .to flow down along the barrel surface to parts 2! and 22 ofthe barrel wall which are perforated so. as to permit the liquid to emerge from the barrel. .It will be understood that liquid sprayed from the pipe I5 will flow down the barrel and emerge. at the barrel wall 2| while liquid sprayed from the pipe It will emerge from the barrel via the barrel wall 22 so that liquid from the spray tube I 6 will not flow down into the portion of the interior of the barrel below the blanking disc ll and mix with the liquid from-the spray tube I5. It will be observed from the drawings, particularly from Fig. 2, that the inner edge I90, of the helix I9 is spaced from the tubes I5 and I6.

In the apparatus shown in the drawings an acid, pump 23, arranged to be driven by an electric motor 24, is provided to pump pickling acid solution from a reservoir, not shown, via a pipe 25, a filter 26 and pipe 21 to the spray tube I5. 'The acid solution thus pumped emerges from the lower portion of'the tube l5 and is sprayed on to the lower portion of the interior of the barrel and onto any small articles such as bolts which have been introduced from a hopperZt w'a a chute 29 into the barreland are moved up along the barrel by the helix I9 when the barrel is rotated. As the articles thus move up along the barrel the sprayed acidsolution moves in counter-flow over the articles while they are continuously subjected to the action of fresh solution sprayed from the tube I5f'1hus duringthe tumbling over one another of the small articles which occurs in the barrel the combined efiects of "spraying and immersion in counter-flowing solution and the corresponding advantages of both methods'ai e simultaneously obtained. The acid solution emerging at ivall 'ZI flows via a funnel shaped"duct'30 to thereservoir. I j

' The upper end of th'ei spray tube I6, shown freein the drawing, is, in operation of the apparatus" connected to a source of I washing water under pressure "and this watergasin the case of spray tubes and it. The two spray tubes I5 55 the acid' spliitionds bothsprayedandrnovegl in counter-flow over the articles which are moved by the helix l9 through the upper portion of the barrel. The washing water emerging at the barrel wall 22 flows into a funnel shaped duct 3| and thence by a pipe '32 to waste or to a suitable tank, not shown, whence it may be pumped back to the spray tube Hi.

In order to remove gases or vapour emerging at the lower barrel part 2| a jacket 33 which closes the end I3 of the barrel and a flue 34 are provided. A chute 35 is provided closely adjacent the open end |,4 of the barrel to direct the washed articles, emerging through this end, on to a jigging screening conveyor 36. The space below the mesh screen of this conveyor is enclosed by Walls which are not connected to the screen but which serve to direct air delivered from a fan 31, driven by an electric motor 38, up through the screen and over the articles moving slowly thereon. The air is heated by a heating element 39, which may be, for example, a steam coil or electrical heating element, and serves during its passage through the screen to dry the articles thereon. The dried articles are discharged from the conveyor 35 to any suitable receptacle or conveyor device not shown.

The parts of the apparatus which are subjected to the action of the acid solution are constructed of suitable acid resisting materials. The spray tube I5 is thus suitably made of ebonite as may be the helix l9 while the interior of the barrel and the various pipes conveying the solution may be lined with rubber.

In order to reduce wear of the helix IS the surfaces of the helix which face upwards are covered with a soft resilient material, suitably rubber. Both faces of the helix may be so covered.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for cleaning or otherwise treating, e. g., pickling small articles which comprises a barrel inclined to the horizontal, an internal helix non-rotatably mounted in the barrel for conveying articles upwardly therethrough,

means for rotating the barrel, a spray pipe in and rotatably mounted with respect to the barrel, said barrel having an inlet at the lower end to receive and an outlet at the upper end to discharge the articles to be treated and a liquid discharge outlet at the lower end of the barrel passages being provided adjacent the internal surface of the barrel to permit liquid delivered from said pipe to flow downwards to the said liquid discharge outlet.

2. Apparatus for cleaning or otherwise treating, e. g., pickling small articles which comprises a barrel inclined to the horizontal, an internal helix non-rotatably mounted in the barrel for conveying articles upwardly therethrough; the

faces of said helix facing upwardly being covered with a soft resilient material, means for rotating the barrel, a spray pipe in and rotatably mounted with respect to the barrel, said barrel having an inlet at the lower end to receive and an outlet at the upper end to discharge the articles to be treated and a liquid discharge outlet at the lower end of the barrel, passages being provided adjacent the internal surface ofthe barrel to permit liquid delivered from said pipe to flow downwards to the said liquid discharge outlet.

3. Apparatus for cleaning or otherwise treating, e. g., pickling small articles in t-wo'successive operations, e. g., pickling and subsequently washin the articles which comprises a barrelinclined to the horizontal, aninternal helix'non-rotatably mounted in both the upper and lower portions of the barrel for conveying articles upwardly therethrough, means for rotating the barrel, a spray pipe in the lower portion of the barrel, a further spray pipe in the upper portion of the barrel, said barrel having an inlet at the lower end to receive and an outlet at the upper end to discharge the articles to be treated and a liquid discharge outlet at the lower end of the barrel to discharge liquid sprayed into the lower portion of the barrel from the first mentioned spray pipe and a further liquid discharge outlet intermediate the ends of the barrel to discharge liquid sprayed into the upper portion of the barrel from said further spray pipe, passages being provided adjacent the internal surface of the barrel to permit liquid delivered from each said pipe to flow downwards to the said liquid discharge outlets.

4. Apparatus for cleaning or otherwise treating, e. g., pickling small articles in two successive operations, e. g., pickling and subsequently washing the articles which comprises a barrel inclined to the horizontal, an internal helix non-rotatably mounted in both the upper and lower portions of the barrel for conveying articles upwardly therethrough, the faces of said helix facing upwardly being covered with a soft resilient material, means for rotating the barrel, a spray pipe in the lower portion of the barrel, a further spray pipe in the upper portion of the barrel, said barrel havin an inlet at the lower end to receive and an outlet at the upper end to discharge the articles to be treated and a liquid discharge outlet at the lower end of the barrel to discharge liquid sprayed into the lower portion of the barrel from the first mentioned spray pipe and a further liquid discharge outlet intermediate the ends of the barrel to discharge liquid sprayed into the upper portion of the barrel from said further spray pipe, passages being provided adjacent the internal surface of the barrel to permit liquid delivered from each said pipe to flow downwards to the said liquid discharge outlets.

5. The combination of the apparatus claimed in claim 1 and a conveyor arranged to receive articles discharged from the said apparatus, means being provided for passing heated gas upwards through the conveyor and over the articles thereon 6. The combination of the apparatus claimed in claim 2 and a conveyor arranged to receive articles discharged from the said apparatus, means being provided for passing heated gas upwards through the conveyor and over the articles thereon.

'7. The combination of the apparatus claimed in claim 3 and a conveyor arranged to receive articles discharged from the said apparatus, means being provided for passing heated gas upwards through the conveyor and over the articles thereon.

8. The combination of the apparatus claimed in claim 4 and a conveyor arranged to receive articles discharged from the said apparatus, means being provided for passing heated gas upwards through the conveyor and over the articles there- 9. Apparatus for cleaning or otherwise treating, e. g., pickling, small articles which comprises a barrel having an inlet to admit articles thereto and a discharge outlet for said articles, an internal helix non-rotatably mounted with respect to the barrel for conveying articles therethrough, the faces of saidhelix facing the said discharge outlet being formed by a soft resilient material,

5 6 means for introducing fluid for treating said articles to said barrel, and means for rotating the UNITED STATES PATENTS bErreL Number Name Date WILLIAM EDWARD CURRAN- 5 1,251,073 Maloney Dec. 25, 1917 1,422,309 Schweinsberg et a1. July 11, 1922 REFERENCES CITED 1,912,414 Tobey June 6, 1933 The following references are of record in the 1,928,339 Mulvany Sept, 26, 1933 file of this patent: 2,235,052 Trier Mar. 18, 1941 

